SOPHIE aims to evaluate the impact of structural policies on health inequalities in Europe through innovative methods. It has four specific objectives: 1) generate new evidence on how policies impact health inequalities, 2) develop methods to identify and evaluate these impacts, 3) increase stakeholder involvement, and 4) disseminate findings to policymakers. Key methods include realist reviews and evaluations of policies related to unemployment benefits, domestic work, urban renewal programs, and dependency care. Results will be delivered through 2014-2015 including reviews, methods of stakeholder involvement, cross-country analyses, and case studies.

2. Objective
SOPHIE (acronym for Structural Policies for Health
Inequalities Evaluation) aims to generate new evidence on
the impact and effectiveness of structural policies in tackling
health inequalities and to develop innovative methodologies
for the evaluation of these policies in Europe.
We consider structural policies as all those policies with a
powerful influence on the structural determinants of health
inequalities, such as patterns of social stratification and living
and working conditions.

3. Framework Spanish Commission

4. Work Packages

5. Specific objectives
1. To generate new evidence on how structural policies impact the
determinants of health inequalities by socio-economic position,
gender and migration status.
2. To develop, refine and apply innovative methods for the
identification and evaluation of how structural policies impact
health inequalities at the European, national and local levels.
3. To increase the involvement of affected stakeholders in the
identification and evaluation of policies to reduce inequalities.
4. To disseminate the findings by implementing strong knowledge
translation approaches to affected communities, stakeholders and
responsible policymakers.

6. Examples of methods
Realist reviews
Unemployment benefits systems.
Realist evaluation
Service Voucher for domestic work (Belgium)
Mixed methods: Quasi-experiments + Concept Mapping
Llei de Barris urban renewal program (Catalonia)
Ley de Dependencia public care services for the dependent (Spain)
Typology-guided cross-national analyses
Gender equity policies
Immigration policies
Housing policies

7. Realist approach to evaluation
and review of evidence
Traditional evaluation methods test programmes by asking
‘does it work?’
Realist evaluation aims at discerning why, how, for whom and
in what circumstances a program can impact health.

8. Concept Mapping
•To engage stakeholders and communities early in
the research process
•To get information on the lived experience of a policy
and its mechanisms (how does it work?)

9. Policy evaluation case studies
Examples

10. Differences with other FP7 projects
Some themes
Macroeconomic (monetary and fiscal) policies
Built environment and urban regeneration
Housing (quality, access, cost)
Gender equity
Immigration policy
Some methods
And more generally , the realist approach to evaluation
Beyond socioeconomic inequalities: intersectionality
The focus on vulnerable / affected stakeholders
Such as groups affected by the policy, local communities, European and
national thematic NGOs

11. Expected timeline for results
Project duration: Nov-11 to Oct-15
Deliverables
Jan-14: Reviews
Oct-14: Methods of stakeholders’ involvement
Jan-15: Cross-country analyses*
Apr-15: Case studies of evaluation*
Oct-15: Final scientific report
* Some results available in 2013-2014

13. sophie-project.eu
@sophieproject
info@sophie-project.eu
dmalmusi@aspb.cat
Thank you!
Grazie!
Gràcies!